Substitute Bride Phoenix, The Tyrant's Pampered Demon Empress

“Why? Aren’t they your brothers?” Liu Rushuang was a little shocked.

“Well I don’t completely hate them. It’s a love-hate relationship!” Said Xu Ziling with a faint smile.

 Liu Rushuang didn’t ask more about it and continued to walk ahead with the group.

She had seen the flowers in the palace many times now, so she didn’t feel they were fascinating. Liu Rushuang mind was elsewhere.

In her previous life, her father was a gang leader who never liked her. For as long as she could remember she always stayed in the basement, and her stepmother and older sister had always plotted to kill her. But not only did she not die, she became the most powerful member of the hand. Every time there were any dangerous missions, she would be sent out to take them. Whenever the missions were poorly executed, she would suffer cruel punishments. She loved an extremely lowly, pitiful life.

But even so, her stepmother and older sister still didn’t give her a break. One time, she was responsible for protecting a weak little girl, but when she reached a remote alleyway, a group of people dressed in black suddenly appeared and attacked her. The group of dozens of men in black clothes ambushed her and she fought her hardest to force them to retreat. However, when she spun around, she noticed that the little girl had used her knife to slash her arm.

When she returned home, her father was furious. He didn’t bother to listen to her explanation and punished her to kneel outside without food or drink. In the end, he used a whip to take her life.

The moment that she died from pain, she saw a beautiful little girl smile at her. She didn’t understand that kind of smile because she was just a tool in her past life. All emotions were null to her.

Now that she suddenly thought back to that smile, she felt seriously scared. There was an endless sense of mockery and pride in that kind of smile.

Xu Ziling noticed that Liu Rushuang looked a little somber, so she asked, “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

Liu Rushuang forced a hint of a smile and flatly said, “It’s nothing. I just remembered something and got a bit emotional that’s all.”

“It must have been something terrible. Your Majesty, you don’t look too well,” said Xu Ziling anxiously.

Liu Rushuang curved the corner of her lips into a faint smile, but her eyes remained sullen. “Yes, it wasn’t a pleasant memory. It is one that’s been engraved in my mind for many years. Now that I think back, it still pains me.”

Xu Ziling seemed rather serious, as she furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation.

Liu Rushuang smiled, then said, “Let the past be the past. Thinking about it now will only serve to stress the mind.”

“Mhm. I think so too, Your Majesty.” Xu Ziling’s smile gradually looked brighter.

Afterward, they strolled around for thirty more minutes before respectfully going their separate ways home.

On their way back, Liu Rushuang turned to Qing’er beside her and smiled. “Qing’er, how have you and the prince been lately? When do you two plan on getting married?”

Qing’er thought about Han Moxi and her eyes suddenly darted. Then, her face flushed all the way down to her neck. “M… Miss, why did you bring that up? I don’t plan on getting married in the next two years.”

“Are you really not planning on getting married? But from what I see, you two aren’t too far off from the idea of getting married. Look at who’s over there.” With that said, Liu Rushuang pointed in one area and smiled.

Qing’er’s little mouth gaped in immediate shock. “Huh? Why’s the prince here again?”

She quickly realized that she misspoke and covered her mouth. She looked at Liu Rushuang in embarrassment. “Miss, just pretend that I didn’t say anything.”

Liu Rushuang smiled brightly, then looked up at Han Moxi who had walked over.

“Greetings my royal sister-in-law,” said Han Moxi with a beaming smile.